Carnegie man to serve 15 years for child neglect plea

ANADARKO — A Carnegie man avoided trial and will serve 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to child neglect.

On Monday, the day he was due to begin trial for three counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of first-degree rape, Daniel Dawson pleaded guilty in Caddo County District Court to the amended count of child neglect, records indicate. The original charges were dismissed.

Caddo County District Judge Kory Kirkland sentenced Dawson to 30 years with 15 years suspended and 15 years behind bars. He also will have to register as a sex offender.

Dawson’s plea follows an investigation that began with a 15-year-old girl claiming he forced her to perform oral sex on him while driving back from Mountain View, the arrest warrant affidavit states. She claimed the abuse began when she was 12 and she described Dawson as committing rape as well as oral and anal sodomy and of repeated inappropriate touching incidents.

Dawson has been in jail on $250,000 bond since his initial court appearance Feb. 11, 2022, records indicate. He receives credit for time served.